it is said that the streams flow in the lakes, lakes flow into the rivers, the rivers flow into the oceans, but yet the oceans never fill or over flow,,,why is this an unanswered question of nature.????
2007-10-27 14:54:18 · 5 answers · asked by geraldwarden 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
The oceans never "overflow" because of the amount of evaporation that takes place. Water evaporates off the surface of the ocean, and returns to the sky in the form of water vapor. This then condensates, becomes clouds, and completes the cycle. I imagine that the level of the ocean does fluctuate some, but over such a large body, the amount would be negligible. Think of it as the figurative "drop in a bucket".
Now, if the polar ice melts, that's a different story. Then the ocean levels will rise, and it will be devastating.
2007-10-27 15:02:14 · answer #1 · answered by marguerita_room30 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People above me are all correct, but there is also groundwater storage that keeps a good protion of water locked into the ground until drought. So not all water that falls when it rains is going to go straight into streams, some of it gets locked into the groundwater and into unconfined aquifers.
2007-10-27 23:32:39 · answer #2 · answered by casey 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sounds like you found a real mystery to me. How come all that water flowing downhill hasn't already made it to the bottom? Must be magic.
2007-10-27 22:00:42 · answer #3 · answered by busterwasmycat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sun heats water = evaporation = clouds = rain then starts again...I just explained this to a five yr old...
2007-10-27 22:03:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Umm..... its a little thing called the water cycle. Look up evaporation and precipitation.
2007-10-27 21:59:05 · answer #5 · answered by Lady Geologist 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋